Brandon Sanderson Is Your "God" | Wired Article
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
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This reads like Onion satire.
“Unbelievable: I hung out with the guy I character assassinated in my head and he didn’t even have the decency to confirm my negative preconceptions of him”
Yep. It read like he was trying to get a "Duck Dynasty" gotcha moment out of Sanderson and ended up just leaving feeling jealous and insecure instead.
I read that as an “Onision” article 😂 😂
"Brian Sanders said WHAT?"
"I am your God. But also your friend."
- Brando Sando, unprompted
"How dare he!" Lol.
The entire article screamed of condescension. To fantasy and scifi writers. To genre fiction as a whole. To people who enjoy it. To "nerds". And of course to Brandon himself. There was this utter sense of "wow, look at all these people caring about this dumb little madeup world", but because Sanderson is one of the nicest, most inspiration people in the business, he couldn't do the hit piece he wanted.
Also condescension to the entire State of Utah, and the mom and pop Chinese restaurant in a small town. And don't forget Hugh Jackman. What did perfectly normal people ever do to this journalist, I wonder?
It read like a high school bully who never grew up was tasked with writing a hit piece on the biggest nerd around.
@@kris1123259 it does read with tons of self hatred ;)
Tim! You're like Morgan Freeman for me now, I've heard you talk so much that when I read something you write I hear your actual voice.
It's one thing to not like Sanderson's writing or fantasy in general and criticize it. But this is just straight up rude and disrespectful. The way the article talks about very personal stuff on Sanderson's life to try and make him and his fans look bad. It's awful.
As someone with a journalism degree, the person who wrote the article did everything we were taught *not* to do. It's absolutely insane that he spent five months sitting on this story and this, of all things, is what he chose to write. It's an insult to Sanderson and the industry as a whole
Ye but don't you know sanderson's kid salts his food. That's weird bro
i'm also a journalist and I'm not sure what i expected the article to be like but "sanderson bad because the vibes are off" wasn't it
Yeah, but what the age of social media taught us is that articles like this will get clicks and that means money. So mission accomplished
@@angelacanedit the most insane part to me is that, as Murph said, the writer clearly went into this with only the "dig up dirt and expose it" angle. Which is idiotic. If the guy had gone in with a handful of potential angles related to each part of Sanderson i.e. his faith, his writing, his business, his interests, his home life (just to name a few) then I have no doubt he could have come out the other side not with no idea of what he was going to write, but with no idea how to fit everything he wanted to into the article. The guy has no idea what he's doing as a journalist or reporter or whatever he chooses to call himself
Isn't that exactly what journalists are doing these days? since Trump 2016 do any of you with a journalist degree still watch and listen to CNN and other leftist media ? which is 90% of America's... should I name a few in case you play stupid? Rittenhouse, Smollet, Bubba Wallace, Trump Russia colide, Elon Musk, Twitter files, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't follow right wingers either, but the amount of journalist lies that came out of mainstream media (90% lefty) since 2016 is mindboggling
Took a bully 5 months to write a 4,000 word hit piece. Brandon wrote two full novels in that time. Nuff said.
He sure did. And it does show in the quality of his novels.
5 months for 4,000 words is insane 💀
@@jokingly4988 Clearly didnt watch sanderson's writing classes smh
@@jokingly4988 fr that's like 3 days of writing + 1 of editing 😭
@@csarmiiThey still manage to be beloved by millions of fans who emotionally resonate with his works, must be doing something right
I live 30 minutes from Brandon. I’ve never met him but one day I was browsing the fantasy book section at Orem’s Barnes & Noble and came across the entire Sanderson section. I opened a few of the books and they were all signed by him.
It just goes to show how much of a kind and caring guy he is to just pop in and sign a few of his books without anyone probably noticing for the fun surprise of a potential reader to find. And he did this without any official book signings or scheduled event.
Really cool and hard working guy. The true measure of a man is how he deals with adversity.
What's awesome is, he seems to try to do this whenever he's able to duck into a store when he's travelling too. He'll tweet out from time to time bookstores he's 'sneaking into' to let fans know that hey. . .there a few signed copies to be found if they live in the area.
So he's an out-of-control vandal too?!!!! Clearly this article didn't go far enough in exposing this man's faults!!!!!!
Thats legit cute.
I believe he has UA-cam videos of him going to that Barnes and signing literally every single book of his that's there.
There's also a story (might be apocryphal, not sure) that he was signing his books at an airport book store and was caught by the employee there. He tried to explain "hey, I'm the author I'm just signing my books for you to sell" and the employee wouldn't hear of it and forced him to purchase it since he'd written in the book.
@@colin1818😂
The saddest part is that so many people could only dream of having dinner with Sanderson and seeing his cool house, but that opportunity was wasted on someone who repaid him with, as Daniel Greene puts it, cyber bullying.
Haha! No kidding! Pick me!
Yes
What she said
I've actually been to his house because my roommates family was helping with the construction of his cool basement. One of the coolest things I've ever done. Ironically I've never actually met him.
This.... makes the article's point so incredibly well. The hero worship is so pervasive that folks can't even see that inviting a journalist working for a magazine to your house isn't the same as inviting a random fan. It's intentionally granting access to a public figure. He knew that a profile piece was being written. This isn't some gotcha thing.
How this comment section is filled with whiny remarks about how the writer was "mean" and NOT filled with incredulity about the idea that this guy _can't feel pain_ is *WILD* to me. The dude has a superhero myth about himself that is pervasive within not only his fans and his company, but his actual family. It's so insanely patriarchal.
But I guess you like his books so nothing anyone thinks about him can be weird or bad. I promise you, both things can be true. I like some of his books, I own the Mist ones in audio and written form, and I find the hero worship that exists for him _so distressing_.
I've never read a Brandon Sanderson book. Before discovering Booktube, I had no idea he even existed. But that article is wild @__@ it reads like more of a way of trying to conflate an individual with the author's personal distaste of Mormonism. I legitimately can't believe an editor read this and thought "Yeah, this is journalism!"
The Sanderson fandom is a big but relatively chill community. You can't really write an "exciting" or a "gripping" article about it that drives enough clicks to pay for the author's labor and time. That is unless you stretch the truth a bit. Also , I'm 95% sure you'd enjoy his work. He easily rivals Oda in terms of world building.
Oh man! You have a bunch of great books to read!
He's listed as a Senior Editor so I'm wondering if was allowed to edit his own article and no one else got to see it before it was published. With the backlash I hope his bosses let him go because I've never seen a more biased, mean spirited, pointless piece of writing. I can't imagine anyone allowing him access to their lives after this so how would he even do his job?
He IS the editor. A senior editor at that. Makes one wonder how he got there.
I'm an atheist, and get very turn off by people pushing religion on me. I read most of Sanderson's books, listened to his Writing Excuses Podcast, and met him once at a signing event... and I never got that from him. I think he mentioned once something about not drinking coffee and that's how I discovered he was a Mormon. So if the article author wanted to target Mormonism, I feel like he's using the wrong figurehead...
He made the article about himself primarily, and then belittled a man who was gracious enough to let him in his home, meet his family. It’s extraordinary. Who cares if he’s ‘dull’.
Apparently if your profession is sitting on your arse writing all day your main goal should be to verbally entertain people who come to interview you. And great point. If you're hired to write an article about someone and most of the article is about you that just shows a total lack of research and professionalism.
@@andrewcavanagh3946 And Sanderson readily admits that he's a pretty boring guy all things considered. He likes to play video games, spend time with his family, and write books. He's successful enough to the point where he's able to make doing those things most of his day to day. The dude is anything but not self aware. If the author had done any research before hand, he would have known what he was getting into.
The part of this article that has me scratching my head is this...
Nobody, and *_I mean_* "nobody," has actually paid proper heed to how hypocritical the author is. I will explain shortly what I mean, but I think personal distaste with Sanderson's prose is partially to blame here. Apparently, we cannot forgive flaws, even if they are past flaws, and we have to assume positions on each and every thing - without really looking back on them and asking ourselves if we are being truly honest. And the part I refer to is this.
How the fuck does someone get to condemn anybody's prose by way of writing 3 tiny periods in quick succession, all of which should had been a single, cohesive period, ending "Oh my God." with a period?
@Pierre In The utter and complete lack of any substance in the 'journalist's' critiques?
@Pierre In The comment you're replying to didn't say anything about a generous depiction, they just said the article shouldn't just be about yourself and the things you don't like. And there's a difference between being critical of someone and deliberately picking every unflattering detail you can find and presenting everything as if it's the most obnoxious thing in the world.
I just hope Sanderson's team doesn't hold back Sanderson from being so open with fans.
This was going to happen someday, Sanderson is so open and that makes him so close to fans but the people who dislike him are going to use it in their own way
I don't think they will. I didn't meet Sanderson's entire team, but those I met LOVE that he's so open with readers and they do their best to help him be as open as he wants to be. Personally, I would be surprised if this changes anything in how he handles himself
@@merphynapier42 I agree, sanderson from his podcast comes off as most things roll right off his back
Honestly only one bitter hack “journalist” with a massive inferiority complex writing a hit piece in nearly 20 years is an almost impossible run.
I doubt it will change anything about Sanderson or his team’s attitudes
I don’t think they will, Brandon will/has rise above this frankly odd article.
The bit that is most telling about this article to me is that Brandon’s Mormonism is mentioned in almost every paragraph in a very sneering way. Even as an atheist I find it unbelievably offensive. If this article was written this same way, but Brandon was Jewish, the guy would lose his job.
If it was a Christian you would have never cared
Nah, he wouldn't. Washington Post and NYT ran incredibly antisemitic articles about Bernie Sanders in 2020, and nobody got in trouble.
It's still gross, but I doubt they would've gotten into trouble regardless.
I was impressed by the line where he insulted both fantasy fans and members of Brandon's church at the same time.
As a atheist living in Utah, fuck the LDS church and they deserve anything bad thrown their way
the New York Times had a swastika-shaped crossword puzzle on the first day of hanukkah. last year.
antisemitism and really religious bigotry of all kinds (except anti-christian of course) is totally free to fly in the US.
There’s no way the article isn’t rage bait. I will not grant it a click.
Too few people seem to be getting this.
IT's what Wired do. They literally did a review of the new Hogwarts Legacy video game and gave it a 1/10 purely based on them hating JK Rowling lol. They represent the very worst of toxic wokeness.
Daniel Greene has a good reaction video where he reads the article out loud if you want to see it but don't give this guy a click.
@@Banner-18 I tend to be pretty progressive and would argue you can make a good critisism of Rowling but doing it in your game review seems more like an excuse to fill space on your publication.
@@InsecureCreator Rowling had literally no input on the game whatsoever. But the magazine chose to attack it because it is linked to the books she wrote. It was pettiness on an epic level and destroyed any credibility the magazine had in relation to balanced criticism. To me it seems that wired just has a commitment to selling a very specific brand of wokism that is loosely based on progressive values. I’m a lifelong leftie and remain so but there is a lot of pettiness and narrow mindedness from sections of todays left that I don’t align myself with that mostly surrounds attacking anyone that doesn’t conform to a very specific agenda which is set around identity not politics. It seems as though Sandersons religion, at least on some level, influenced this particular writers opinion of the man.
"I guess because I admitted to him I'm not a person who feels pain very easily, he thought he should see how deep the knife would go?"
I thought Jason Kehe said Sanderson wasn't quotable.
I think it hits harder because we can all read between the lines and feel the author also dragging us as "lame" fantasy fans.
Basement dwelling 🤓
Yeah, that was sad.
The way he talked down about a fan for building one of the swords from the series really upset me.
"Oh no this guy has a hobby but he enjoys doing! What a terrible thing!"
I’m not sure. This article reads very strangely. The writer openly admits to being nerdy and having read 20ish Sanderson books. Was he trying to be funny? I can’t tell because some of this was just plain nasty.
The funny part is, it gets me even though I'm not much into his books. That's probably me being too much of a people pleaser though.
Literally the one time I've met Brandon was at a signing event, I drove a couple of hours to get there and I took a few books with me in a backpack, I assumed I would only be able to get the one book signed, the one that the book signing was for, as I've seen book signings before where there's like a 1 book sign only rule etc to save the authors time.
As I met him, I asked if there was any time left at the end he'd be able to sign 2 more of his books that I brought in my backpack, and he just said "the backpack you're wearing?" and I said yeah and he just said "just grab them right now, of course!" and I took them out and he signed them there and then with a big smile on his face and it was like he couldn't even imagine why someone wouldn't take that time to sign a couple of books for someone. I just don't get how you can meet him and this article is what you take away from it. It's fucking baffling.
Not even a fan of Brandon's books (in fact, I do dislike Mistborn quite a bit), but the guy himself seems super nice and his writing lectures are amazing. Also, despite all his success he still seems down to earth and approachable. This Wired article is just a hit piece and the author makes himself look like a bad faith actor. Even Sanderson's response to this piece is actually too nice - at least in my opinion.
Now you are someone I can respect. You dont like Mistborn but you respect people who do. This is how people should treat others who they disagree with. I love mistborn and I completely respect your opinion
I wonder if Sanderson knows this guy will get what's coming to him. I honestly think he just shot his career in the foot with that article, nobody's going to want to do interviews with him and I would venture to say this has probably damaged Wired as a company. If I was a famous author and Wired called to set up an interview, I'd turn them down in a heartbeat. This guy damaged his own reputation as well as Wired's.
@@althor1247 Yeah I'm not the biggest fan of Mistborn or Sanderson's slightly-too-hard--for-my-taste-magic-systems either, but this article just feels genuinely evil to me, and I don't ever use that word...lol
The niceness is superficial. Man helps fund conversion camps and all sort of far-right bullshit
Hey! Can you suggest me some high fantasy books please? I have just started to reading and mistborn is my first series but after mistborn I just can't find any books that makes me feel thrilled. I just read a little bit and then I am getting bored.
Imagine dalinar inviting you to roshar to experience the high storms and he opens up to you about these strange visions he gets and his struggles with honor. And then you turn around and release a slam piece about his cowardice, his madness, and insult renarin.
WoR Spoilers
Funnily enough, didn't that kind of happen in WoR where someone published Dalinar's dreams and changed Navani's writing as a petty hit piece? And it was kind of framed as one of the lowest things done to defame him?
@@eclipse9483 WoR Spoilers
Yep! IIRC it was Ialai Sadeas's spies who leaked it as a hit piece. It was a despicable thing that a mortal enemy did and even they never went so far as to insult Renarin.
Moash IRL
The frustrating part is that engagement is winning for this editor. A milktoast, badfaith, hit piece can be decried and downvoted and disproved, but because of all of that reaction, the article won. It’s wildly successful due to engagement, because that’s our metrics.
I guess, just remember that Wired wrote this. Their credibility (at least this editor’s credibility if nothing else) is pretty disappointing. When they do the same thing to an author or publisher or game dev that you don’t know or even might not like very much, remember this and remember that their word isn’t worth much…besides the clicks of course.
No disagreement on the core points of your argument, but I believe this will hurt Wired more than they realize. I am less inclined to trust Wired now, so odds are smaller that I'll go to them for anything. This may backfire on them in a fatal manner, driving away readers instead of attracting them.
The article may have technically won the fight, but it seems to me to be contributing to Wired loosing the war. I’m certainly not going to view this publication as a credible news source in the future.
Instead of saying you'll trust the website less, why not just write to them directly to complain? If you still use it, but just "trust it less", what have they really lost?
@@pendlera2959 Who says I'll still use Wired? If I see an article by Wired in my search results, I'll be unlikely to click on it (I usually do check to see what websites I'm clicking on). I will certainly not be navigating to their homepage. Furthermore, anyone who watched Daniel Greene's video on this article has no need to check it out directly; he reads it all with the article shown on screen, albeit with plenty of commentary. The ultimate effect will be fewer clicks overall.
I think people will remember he wrote this garbage for a long time though...
I work as a journalist. This article made me feel sad about being a journalist.
Respect is an important part of being a good journalist, whether you agree with someone or not, you still owe them respect. It is so important to keep your opinions out of things and not try to force the story fit your expectations and views (unless it is a review/editorial).
Journalism is about finding the truth by seeking out different perspectives and layering the information together to get the clearest picture of the truth possible. Obviously, everyone is biased, but a good journalist should be honest with themselves about their biases and aware of how that may impact their writing.
This article made me sad.
I’m not familiar with the interior rules of journalism, but I do like to read a lot of accomplished journalists. In comparison, this seems like this article contravenes almost every single rule you’re supposed to follow as a journalist.
@@definitelynotobama6851 I also have a degree in journalism and, believe me, I would never write an article like this, and this style of piece is something we are warned against. Sadly it's this type of piece that gets clicks though so people are willing to do whatever it takes to get those views. But Jason will never get another author interview after this.
I would not be surprised if Amazon paid for the article cause he snubbed audible for the kickstarter books
It's called the Gell-Mann amnesia effect. THE media lies just like this and just as much as this. You maybe lying without knowing it if you as a journalist haven't noticed this yet! I find it hard to believe you! journalism seems to be dead in the mainstream. Independent journalists are the only good ones nowadays it seems. We had a mass shooter the other day and the media attacks Christians instead of the actual attacker. NBC called the attacker the victim and blamed Matt Walsh onto deaths. Journalists seem deranged because the algorithms have ensured only the deranged are hired now. Go independent if you have integrity,. Wired is dead.
I watch Timcast and he shows every day how the journalists are constantly lying to push an editorial bias. Journalism is truly dead in the mainstream but it will never die completely. In Canada we have Trudeau's government funding all of our mainstream news and other media. they lie constantly for him. It's blatant. They are just propaganda.
This Brandon Sanderson article doesn't surprise me but it may surprise people her because they don't realize this goes on for almost all the media.
Gell-Mann amnesia effect is when you notice the lie because you know what the h=journalist is talking about... but then you turn the page and think... assume they are telling you the truth all of the sudden. You only think this because you don't know the truth. If you knew more you'd realize the whole media is this bad!
@@tomraineofmagigor3499 it's because he's a mormon.
I find it really suspicious after Brandon shows very publicly that it is possible to live outside the monopoly of amazon, and calls them out for unfair business practices that this hit-piece appears desperately trying to destroy his reputation. It feels conspiratorial but i do not put it past Amazon.
Bingo
I had not thought about it from that angle, but since there is no evidence of this being a motive I won't lean that direction just yet.
If this did have any part in things, though, it would at least explain why the author of the article tried so darn hard to be negative at every turn. Because I am having a hard time understanding how someone gets to such a position at a known publication and still puts out work like this.
Wait until a similar article pops up in Washington Post, since that one's literally owned by Bezos.
Oooh good observation 😮. We'll see if anything develops...
I saw this idea said elsewhere and I find it suspicious beyond a simple coincidence
I agree. I feel like the author was trying to find some "dirt," couldn't find anything, and then was like, "OK I'll just dunk on his religion instead!"
I'm not really a fan of Sanderson's writing but this article just read like this person had an agenda to smear a successful author because "rich man bad" gets clicks on the internet these days. His story and mind was made up before he even met Sanderson.
I had the same feeling. Felt like he went there with a decided stance on not liking him and decided to use every instance to prove it
Same thoughts
100%. This is the same magazine that "reviewed" the recent Hogwarts Legacy video game and gave it a 1 out of 10 for "gameplay" while citing only the vaguest justifications for that score and spending thousands of words attacking JK Rowling personally.
@@colin1818he game seems to called mid a lot, but 1/10 wow, thats disingenious, and i would defend dunking on rowling, but 1/10 is just disingenious.
Like youcan dunk on her and be fair and search points you actually can call out, which there are aprearently a fair bit. Not just 1/ 10 .
Thats bad reacting,making dunking on rowling look bad , because hste in the game flaws,if you critizize the game , and seperate the rants on rowling as much as possible.
And dont just 1/10 because of personal of a bias. That helps no one,not rowlings critics or the game criticism.
@@marocat4749 Hogwarts Legacy is objectively a 2/10 at best
I get it, the author of the article hates Mormons. He hates Brandon, because he's Mormon. He hates Utah, because Mormons live there. Their food is bad, they are weird, and they have body odor. Brandon's family is weird, because they are all Mormons. The author went on and on and on about all the ways he hated Mormons.
Now imagine if the author were to write a hit piece, attacking someone because they were Jewish or Muslim. He would be fired immediately, but Mormons are easy targets. It's OK to attack and denigrate Mormons.
Fabulous response Merphy. Like Sandersons response, very respectful (unlike the journalist)
thank you!
@@merphynapier42 please read the promised neverland and my hero academia...
@@notrixamoris3318 I believe those are on her TBR
I watched the video, then I read the article, then I read some of the top comments. I've got to say, I think all of this is a big over reaction. I didn't come away from the article thinking anything bad about the author. All I thought was, "wow he sounds like a really interesting guy." In fact the article made me like him more than I previously had. I have never read any of his books, and have only heard of him because of this channel. When there was that video of the Sanderson interview on here I came away feeling like he was slightly rude. It felt like he had the attitude of "yeah, yeah, yeah, you don't have to finish this question I already know what you're going to ask and I have an answer already." Reading this article makes me think he's not a jerk, just a guy with an experience and point of view that most people don't have.
@@nothanks6549 did you watched daniel greene's video too???
This was one of the saddest, cringiest things I’ve ever read. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hit piece ever fail so badly at making an author look bad. Like, I’d love to be Sanderon’s neighbor now!
Crying was the perfect description of the invasive article and not mention the attack on his faith, which shouldn't have even been an issue. 😕
Regarding the big scandal quote “as I build books, God builds people.” I am not religious at all. And I honestly don’t even find that quote to be very controversial..? I get how you could view it negatively and in an egotistical way or whatever. But to me, I feel like that’s probably a common reason fantasy authors enjoy writing fantasy? Being able to create your own world and characters and stories, creating a reality not restricted by our own. I don’t even get why they acted like that’s such a “Gotcha!” quote lol.
In a roundabout way, it’s suggesting people write his books for him through God.
I don’t think he’s relating to the creation of books or fantastical things at all unless you count the bible…or am I missing the point and he’s referencing memes of God creating people like a baker makes a cake? This is all very subjective without him supplying the context.
And it was soo misattributed/misrepresented too. I read Brandon's response, and it was not egotistical at all.
This could be said of sci fi authors as well, what is far future sci fi, but magic made technological.
That's like Worldbuilding 101
Yeah, if that was supposed to reveal that Sanderson has a god complex or something I wonder what the article writer thinks about parents saying they "create life" when they have kids.
"The writers’ group still meets every Friday, which is what today happens to be. It’s the most PG gathering of writer types I’ve ever been to. There are chips and sodas. Someone’s baked an apple crisp." I just love this part because it really shows what this person thinks is writing. Should the meeting be like with drugs, sex and alcohol, good old days of Hemingway, and because of that, is real writing. This is just another fail author that now writes for a magazine and doesn't understand how one got really successful and they did not.
That is an opservation. There is no judgemend in this Centers. But boy oh boy you are a very harsh critic of a actualy lovely picture it is so cozy but you read something evil into it. That is very telling
@@alien777 What is very telling is the whole article, I can't find anything cozy when it was written in such a condescending way
I'd love to go through zoom.
"HoW dArE tHeY nOt EnTeRtAiN mE wItH WiLd UnhInGeD tHiNgS i CoUlD wRiTe AbOuT iN mY aRtIcLe" is what that (and most of the article) part read to me. Like. Wtf, why'd a writers group NOT be PG? What's wrong with bringing snacks? The dude is trying to find a problem where there isn't and then say that's the problem!
Boom, this is spot on!
I'm still assuming this was some personal diary entry that the author accidentally submitted for publication... it's the only explanation I can think of for how something so embarrassingly cruel could have been written :/
But in that case it would be true which it wasn’t they were pressured to make this
It's like a 4,000 word entry in the book from Mean Girls.
I paused to read the bits about experiencing pain and, as a person on the spectrum, I relate to it. There are definitely times where I get emotional, but in many instances where I feel I *should* feel emotion, I don’t. I’m actually kind of insecure about it. Idk if Brandon is on the spectrum or not, but I’m unsettled that something like that would be used to paint someone badly. Not everyone experiences emotion the same and that’s okay.
I’m not on the spectrum but emotionally my highs and lows are relatively flat compared to many people I know. Blessing and a curse I guess, but when what I would consider highly emotional people don’t get the reaction they expect from me it can feel like they think something is wrong with me which is hurtful
he’s DEF on the spectrum and the guy who wrote the article hated that 😭
Brandon was made to write incredible books, not worry about pain. Nuff said.
I strongly suspect that he is.
Don't conflate your neurodivergence with what they're saying about him. The people around him believe that he can't feel *physical pain.* Not just emotions. They think of him like he's magic, not like there's something wrong with him.
Your struggles - whatever they may be - to fit into normie society are real. The idea that a man can't feel physical pain because he's just so special is *bonkers.*
The issue with modern journalism is that the journalists decide what the story will be before doing their research, then just warp whatever they find to fit that story. This is a perfect example.
I share Brandon's faith. This is the kind of thing we come to expect from journalistic explorations of prominent Latter-day Saint figures. And while it's no secret that the "godhood thing" is on our theological horizon, it's not the driving force for anyone I've ever known in my church. Our daily walk is more like other Christians than those other Christians are often willing to admit. We live day to day in an effort to emulate Jesus Christ. We believe we are saved through Jesus' grace (like Protestants emphasize) and we endeavor to repent regularly (like Catholics practice).
The prospect of one day creating and governing our own world is, to me, like those stained-glass windows in Sanderson's house: I admire it aesthetically, it's a feature of my worldview, but it doesn't alter the function of my living space. There are other, more immediate, far more important drives and considerations that capture my attention: Christian service, caring for my family, sharing my talents in my congregation (I play the piano in junior Sunday School and pinch-hit as organist during the service).
While I only read my first of Sanderson's works very recently, I was expecting more LDS theology to show up, like is so interweaved through Card's "Ender" and "Alvin Maker" series. But there was nothing there - if I didn't know going in that Sanderson was a "Mormon", I wouldn't have been able to tell from his writing. There was no real reason for this Wired writer to go there, except for it being the low-hanging fruit that so many other hit-pieces like this have always focused on.
I agree with everything said here, and I second all of it.
I wonder if all this confusion about what we believe as Christians is why we've been given the push lately to not call ourselves Mormons but instead use the full name of the church. It must be there to emphasize that we're Christian, just like the others and not some alien faith: The Church of /Jesus Christ/ of Latter-day Saints.
Agreed 100%
this was exactly my thinking as well. to quote the new testament: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." just like other religions, our goal is to build a relationship with the Divine. we have been given information of where that path leads, but we follow the path because it takes us to God, not because we see it as currency in a transaction for power or immortality.
Love this! Also a member!
So true, I wish people would understand this more.
I'm thankful that you posted this. I am an author, different penname, and every single interaction I have ever had with Sanderson has been extremely positive. The amount of content he gives -for FREE- to the writing community has been a gamechanger to so many people.
He is the reason I sought out Apex to mentor under David Farland and also a big part of why I kept writing when my first book flopped. The personal attack on him is just cruel and I hops it doesn't change how he interacts with fans in the future.
My wife sent me the article with no context in the middle of the night. I then proceeded to ruin her sleep with my need to talk about it all.
Anyway, coming from the same faith background as Sanderson, I feel that the specific words the author uses ring of anti-Mormon literature. No one who has good or neutral exposure and knowledge of the religion would describe it the same way the author did. He outed his negative perspective before he even made his point.
I also studied journalism in college, as other commenters did, and I was perplexed that Wired let this author push this junk out after letting it gather dust for 5 months.
Merph, your opinions in the video are sound! You have excellent insight. 👏 👏👏
What you said at 8:40 is exactly how I felt reading the article. The author was looking for a big gotcha moment, didn't get it and then decided to be a jerk for 4000 words (which he makes sure the reader knows that's how many words he had to write). It also reads like he just has some vendetta against Mormonism and was looking for anything. Even though he tries to paint Sanderson as a villain, he never comes across that way, but the author does. And his big gotcha at the end of the article I didn't see as anything bad. To me what Sanderson was saying was I'm 'I'm doing my thing, God's doing his thing', which is fine. I'm not a religious person at all but I believe in respecting other peoples beliefs even when I may have issues with them, and this author tried to go for the jugular and just comes off as a grade-A jerk.
And all the sanderson readers laughing quietly since most of his chapters are longer than 4000 words
Well said. I also have a vendetta against Mormonism, but decided to give Sanderson a go anyway. I’ve read the Mistborn series and did feel it was a bit of an LDS allegory. That said, it the guy feels that way, why go accept his hospitality only to shit on him later? That’s just being a bad human.
He wanted the Netflix docuseries about a megalomaniac cult-like author with a brainwashed fanbase. A living God complex resting in his horde of cash. Don't get me wrong I would watch that in a second. But, Brandon's not that guy. He isn't Hubbard 2.0
@@jacobc3400 oh goodness, the author was looking for a Scientology alike?
@@nerdy_nurse What do you mean be "a vendetta against mormonism"???
Thank you, for making this.
Rita Skeeter's are real and out there writing stories. I started the article and was interested in the critical analysis of Sanderson's work, because they're not perfect for sure. But tiny gods, the personal attacks were blatant and so... Juvenile. Not sure who pissed in the author's Cheerios but I stopped reading and knew the fan outcry would follow soon.
You hit the nail on the head. Rita Skeeter! 😉👍💗
That whole article reads like someone encountering an earnest person for the first time in their life and having no idea how to deal with it.
That note from Mr Sansderson tho 🥺
Thanks. In "On Fairy Stories", Tolkien talks about people being created in the image of God, and so it's natural for us to create secondary worlds. It's not just the LDS.
Tolkien’s thoughts on subcreation do hold some small similarities to LDS doctrine. That is an interesting point.
And even though Tolkien viewed it as a completely frictionally creative impulse, he did view it as a divinely given impulse to play god an a small scale.
Good point
@@JustinThorntonArt Mormon doctrine or not people have always been writing fictional stories. And Sanderson doesn't remotely push any of his beliefs into his world building or writing. I honestly think this article was rage bait
Idk why but the article really really made me so sad. To think of someone as kind, genuine as Brandon to have opened his home up to a stranger who acted like such a friend to his face and turned around and wrote such a cruel thing. I literally cried last night thinking of Brandon having to read it and how he might be feeling (I am about to get my period so everything is making me cry but that’s beside the point)
Brandon is literally the reason I got back into reading. Picking up Mistborn two years ago ignited a love for reading in me, helped me find this channel and the book community. I just feel so protective of that man because of how he’s inspired me and it’s killing me to think of how this article is making him feel. Especially with his comment of the author wanting to see how much pain he could cause Brandon. Ughhh my heart hurts and the only shining light is to see so many ppl coming to his defense and giving him so much kind words and support. I hope he’s doing better today!!!
I sadly think your response is exactly what the article went for so you can sue Wired for emotional damage 😂
@@Morfeusm Absolutely!! 😂😂
Yeah, I felt so hurt by the article and I'm not even Brandon. Why would someone do this?
I can't imagine letting someone in my home, sharing meals with them and introducing them to my family to have them turn around and write a hit piece on me. Especially, if all was well throughout the vist. If you don't like his writing that is okay. I personally have problems with it. But this isn't about critique of Brandon the author. This is a insult about Brandon the person.
I think the best course of action is to send complaints and feedback to the publication rather than the writer (I sent them a respectful complaint by email). At the end of the day the fact that the article actually got through to publication with how much of a mess it was speaks volumes about the company as a whole, not just the writer.
The thing is, the author of the article is actually a senior editor at wired ¯\(o_o)/¯
They won't care. They only care about what gets clicks. That's why they allowed the dumb-ass article about Hogwarts Legacy to be published.
Thank you for the thoughtful action. Perhaps they will think again about publishing a piece so ill conceived and mean spirited. 😉👍💗
"I don't comment on Wired, I'm not a news channel."
That's ok. Wired isn't news.
I think the world could use more videos like this. Good folk just speaking up for other good folk when their character is being unfairly maligned
Sanderson's response is just hilarious! The more I learn about Sanderson the more I like him as a person and author.
I haven’t read the article, but as a Mormon we are vilified by both religious groups and secular groups. It’s exhausting.
We are seen as a monolith and not individuals with nuanced beliefs. There are members of my faith who are terrible people and there are many how are kind and generous. And as with all humanity we make mistakes. Their are moments in the history of my faith that most of us are not proud of. But it is a group run by people who are trying to become better.
We try to love our neighbors as Christ taught. We often fall short. And there are often disagreements with our own numbers about how to go about that.
We also many of our numbers have succumbed to the current political divisions that have driven so many people away from loving their neighbors. It hurts my heart every day to see it in people I love.
But one thing every must understand. We are people who are not perfect. We are trying to follow the teachings of Christ. To love one another and be kind to everyone. Be we don’t always reach that standard. We aren’t some evil group. We are human. We struggle with faith, pride, anger and and all sorts of other things just like everyone else.
I guess what I’m trying to say very poorly. Don’t believe what people on the internet say about what a Mormon is or is not. Just see just as the imperfect individuals we are that are putting in a good faith effort to be better. (At least a good number of us.)
I agree. We are always painted in a bad light but the church as an organization puts so much good into the world with charities and stuff. Not only this but many of the people in the church are imperfect people trying to be better. We are working hard to complete God’s perfect plan despite our weaknesses and failures.
@@rickyratthetarpope4021Your church and your actions paint you in a bad light. Stop being part of a harmful, bigoted group and that should clear up.
Usually it's the emotionally immature who think being "dull" is a fatal flaw. What we fail to appreciate says more about us than it does that which we deem unworthy.
In writing this article, the author did a lot more to destroy the image of their own character than they did Sanderson's.
if he had hired a professional to teach him how to make himself look like a dangerous unstable moron, he couldn't have done it better.
I have found that is usually the result of hit pieces.
The writer genuinely comes across SO creepy. Like he actually gets off on making people uncomfortable
You don't even need to spend a day in Brandon's life to know what his work puts on display: he's incredibly human and he understands that humanity, that makes him kind.
Having listened to every episode of Writing Excuses I get the impression that Sanderson is a friendly, thoughtful, and kindhearted person who has a genuine love of all things nerdy. When I read the article last night it struck me as just off from who he is, and the photo makes him look smug, which doesn't seem like him, either.
As for his writing, one of the best pieces of writing advice I ever got (from Dave Farland, Sanderson's mentor) was that different people read for different reasons, so write what you enjoy and the people who also enjoy that will read your stuff and the other people will read someone else and everyone gets what they want. If you read because you love elegant or stylish or ornate prose, go read one of the million authors who also love those things. What the heck's the point of people being negative about Sanderson's prose? Maybe for him the prose is just there to tell the story. What's wrong with that? Based on his sales I think a lot of people feel the same.
Every episode? Dang, that's a whole lot. I remember listening to Writing Excuses years ago, found it interesting but didn't keep up. Pleasantly surprised to see it going still.
@@ozkifovxvypyvp3574 Actually, I've listened to every episode twice and took notes. (because otherwise I'd have to actually do some writing, and like most writers I do everything I can to avoid actually, y'know, writing)
@@davidvonallmen19 Don't write, type! So called writers these days, how many even use pens, pencils or quills?
Respect, that's some dedication and those podcasts had a lot of great advice.
@@ozkifovxvypyvp3574 Yeah, man, I was kind of kidding about not writing. I do procrastinate pretty hardcore sometimes, but I just finished the fourth draft on my latest novel in which I completely rewrote the third act. And yeah, typing! I always tell people that the two semesters of typing class I took were the only classes in all of middle school I got something useful out of.
Having watched some of his "Intentionally Blank" show and listened to some of his lectures, I think Sanderson has some deeply held beliefs about writing/stories that I don't think are quite correct, but he doesn't seem to be a bad person nor do I think he's a bad writer so much as one who has a specific style that is a bit easier to read and thusly great for bringing in lots of readers.
Sanderson will be remembered for inspiring people. Regardless of what you think of his writing style, book lengths, or personal beliefs, he has refreshed storytelling, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.
That article reads almost as satire. I was waiting for the "just kidding" to drop, but turns out the writer was unfortunately serious. My favorite part was learning that watching Hugh Jackman made Jason burst into tears 😂
I agrée. I kept trying to decide if he was being funny. The irony is he’s complaining about Sanderson’s bad writing and the article is badly written!
@Mary G it really is! The "journalist" complains about an author's writing while displaying his own lack of the skill. Does he truly not see the irony? Lol
The article was so so dehumanizing
I’m sorry but this article just seems too timely to be a coincidence when Sanderson has been having very vocal issues with Amazon. I’m not saying there is a connection, but it does seem very suspicious that Sanderson speaks out about Amazon’s predatory dealings with authors etc and now there’s this article painting him as a rich man who thinks himself a god 🤔
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Sanderson at a book signing for The Way of Kings about a million years ago. He was kind, generous with his time and attention while signing, excited to talk about his work, and really everything you could hope for from meeting an author. Like many, i'm mixed on my opinions of his work (elantris: boooo, stormlight archives: good to excellent, his wheel of time collaboration: not perfect but i don't think anyone could do it better) but as a person he is top notch.
“If Sanderson doesn’t want to be famous, I’ll make him INFAMOUS!!!”
-The Writer of this Awful Article
I’m so glad you posted this! Brandon Sanderson is sooo supportive of the Indie community and he’s so generous with his knowledge. His courses on UA-cam have been so helpful to me as a writer. He seems like a great guy and you confirmed what I thought… he is. Thank you!
The main issue I have with the piece (and in ways, Sanderson's response) is the writer got it in his head that there MUST be something there, so he went in trying to uncover it. When there was nothing, he twisted things up under the shadow of Mormon... "Ooooo look at the successful mormon... what's up with that? Am I right guys? Huh? Huh? Guys? Seriously... look! Don't you see it?" He might not have intended to write a hit piece, but that's what he did. There's no justification for the piece. Should we mob rules him? No, but he should know that what he did was not ok. Sanderson's response proves the absolute opposite of the writer's article. It wasn't journalism. It was a personal attack because he couldn't find anything to uncover.
All this Jason Kehe guy achieved with this article was to make sure that nobody in the fantasy/sci-fi community opens the doors to their houses to him ever again.
Sanderson is one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met. Thanks for sticking up for him, Merphy! I love how you can do far better journalism than a so-called "journalist".
I was enrolled in Sanderson’s class at BYU and I love Sanderson! He is a kind and passionate person who does his best and tries to always help others. He loves his family, his students, and his fans! Idk how anyone could speak so poorly of the guy!
I just read the article. I basically got the impression that Jason is mad that Brandon doesn't have degenerate characters or graphic sex and violence. It's an odd, questionable person who requires those in order to be satisfied.
@@bryce4228 Agreed especially because it's not like Sanderson condemns other authors for those things he simply choses not to highlight them himself
@@bryce4228 I find it funny you say this when people get by the dozen within most of his prologues (with rather graphical descriptions) and one of his main characters is a literal war criminal.
I wonder what kind of 'degeneracy' you are referring to?
@@photografo9240 Probably meant something homophobic.
@@photografo9240 I think he meant (extremely) morally gray characters. Like, Sanderson could have written a book about the Blackthorn, glorifying the violence, but instead he wrote about Dalinar seeking redemption from his terrible past. The Blackthorn was degenerate. The way Sanderson chose to portray his terrible actions is what makes a difference.
Nothing against people who enjoy George R.R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie style characters, but it's not everyone's cup of tea
Brandon Sanderson is such a humble man ❤️❤️❤️ his response to that article really is 💪💪💪 it shows how of a kind , intelligent and gentle soul he is
I don’t care for Sanderson’s writing myself, but he seems like a cool guy.
This is one of those instances that the spirit of the article tells you just as much about the writer as the subject.
And all people her Show there spirit
tbh I hadn't read this article or really knew what it was about, but I went to read Brandon's response and burst into tears. I could feel the hurt - being called boring or uninteresting or ungenuine as a person is so so so much worse than hearing criticism about your writing (which is totally ok for obvious reasons). I can't imagine how it must feel to show your everyday life and excitedly talk about your work and passion for writing fantasy stories loved by many and be met by an open attack on you as a person. Maybe this was bound to happen as his name becomes more mainstream, because some people just aren't kind people, period. His response shows how good-hearted of a person he is and I can't wrap my head around how you could spend time with someone so pleasant and devoid of ill will and still write a public, long article on why he is "lame". unbelievable.
Great video, still jealous of your recent trip to Utah. Which your description of is exactly how I see Brandon really being as a person
Most everything has already been said about the atrocity that is this hit piece, so i won't repeat.
All I'll add is this: in my experience as a lifelong writer with a Master's degree in creative writing, NOTHING has improved my craft, and the way I think about writing as much as this man (and by extension his podcast party). I owe a faith in my chances to one day become published due to the charity he passionately gave to all of us, in sharing all his writing wisdom and knowledge for free.
Billionaires have offered less to the world than Sanderson, and i for one am eternally grateful.
Imagine getting invited to the house of the nice old grandma down the street for tea and homemade apple pie and then going to work the next day and saying "She used Red Delicious instead of Honeycrisp and Chamomile is shit. What an asshole"
This was actually a really good summary of what I felt while reading the article. English is not my native language so, especially with articles with lots of personal opinion, sometimes I get some of the meanings wrong and all.
But this just felt mean while reading it, while the author of the article was claiming Brandon was "lame" or "boring" he was saying stuff that showed me that Brandon is a person I'd love to be friends with. And noticing the amount of personal stuff shared with the writer, the article felt like a backstab.
Anyways, Brandon's a classy dude for that response...
I'm so glad you talked about our experience there. I kept thinking "This isn't what it felt like at all!" I get we are fans, but we have both criticized things we disliked about Sanderson's works in the past - we aren't some blind fangirls - and this article was just NOT IT.
There were hints of an interesting article in there. Like why is he so popular if his writing is so pedestrian with a “don’t miss the forest for the trees” in regards to Jason’s statement about sentences and stories. Or about going in to find Brandon’s secret private persona but finding out his private persona is the same as his public persona and how that plays into growing fanbase. But yeah the writer really wanted to find some weird angle to focus on. In a later comment Sanderson gives some context on the final “quote” about how the guy was really pushing to connect Mormonism to the whole thing and Brandon basically just saying he was rambling and didn’t think that part of their interaction was all that memorable.
In the end this feels like killing the Golden Goose. Sure this article will get a lot of traction but at the cost of no fantasy author willing to host this guy in the future.
It’s WIRED. They’ll find some other interest to look down their noses at.
Funny thing is that wired article actually got me interested enough in Sandersons writing to try it out. I’ve now read like 8 of his books!
I was reading this article yesterday and was struck by how self loathing the writer of the piece comes off. Dude is going through something.
I haven't read anything Brandon's written, but I've followed his podcast for a while now, and seen several interviews with his online. I feel like I probably would like his writing and did get in on the Kickstarter and got a few of his books on sale and have them in my TBR. Even if I don't like them, I do find him very interesting and funny and can relate to many aspects of the way he describes himself and will keep following the podcast at the very least.
I feel like the problem with the article is that the entire thing was written with a disdainful tone. I love Brandon’s work, his openness, his love for the fans. He isn’t perfect, but he seems very open to criticism, and is very aware of his flaws (both personal and professional). I think there are a lot of avenues for criticism of him and his work, and there’s a need to acknowledge them even by his most ardent fans (like me). The problem with the article isn’t that he isn’t deserving of criticism, it’s that the article doesn’t really address those issues in a more than superficial ways. To say nothing of how really gross the article felt in the gratuitous swipes at LDS. I’m Jewish, not LDS, but it reminded me of an article McKay Coppins of The Atlantic wrote last year about various true crime TV shows that portray LDS in very stereotyped ways that really were just using the most insidious canards about the faith. That’s what this felt like.
I agree, that was well said. I am LDS and putting that aside, plug in any other religion and it's still so disrespectful. I think Merphy had a great point of instead of being critical of his unique view of the world be curious because it is so unique. What about your faith influences your writing? I would be so interested in that answer. I might share the same faith but I do not write nor see the world the same way and to get a glimpse of that would be fascinating! It didn't matter that it was talking about 'mormonism', that person was looking for anything to attach negativity to.
I read the article before the current blowback.
My take on it can basically be boiled down to:
"Dude... maybe you're the problem, not the guy you're interviewing."
I'm glad you're talking about this. I didn't get to read the whole thing, but I was very confused as to why such a thing would be published
I was expecting a charitable response from Sanderson but WOW. What a class act
Wired are a very strange publication in general, this is very on brand for them. 0% journalism, 100% hit piece
Aren't they the site that gave "Hogwarts Legacy" a 1 out of 10 because the writer of the "review" (I'm using that term VERY loosely) was transsexual and hated JK Rowling?
@@HarryBuddhaPalm Spot on.
@@HarryBuddhaPalm Don’t disagree, but « transexual » isn’t really a word people use anymore. The right word is « transgender »
@@books2438 I could not care less what the new politically correct terms are
@@sharpasacueball Go ahead and look stupid then. It ain’t just about political correctness. Transexual and transgender just don’t mean the same thing. Transexual is someone who specifically undergoes genital surgery. When you talk about someone who doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, that’s a transgender person. Using transexual to mean transgender was common a while ago, but just makes you look ignorant today
This makes me very sad. I've been reading for years I'm 36. And Brandon Sanderson is my favorite fictional author ever! I was sexually abused, verbally abused, and physically abused by my stepfather. The Cosmere is everything to me, as a reader! His characters give me hope! For the first time in my life I'm ok with being me! I learned this through therapy and Brandon Sanderson books! And I am comfortable in my own skin, because of these wonderful characters! Brandon Sanderson proves once again why we love him!
Thank you for opening up about this. Brandon Sanderson and the Cosmere are very special!
Wonderful post. One wacky article filled with mostly nonsense makes no difference to your favorite author. You keep on going strong.
Great video. Read the article and it is NOT journalism. It’s a journal entry at best. I can’t believe how mean spirited the whole thing was. I agree with everything you said.
It's a blog post.
@@OrbitalCookiethrough the perspective of someone who doesn't like nice people
One thing I find hilarious is that they basically looked for a hit piece and then criticised him for being boring when they couldn't find it anything genuinely nefarious.
I have yet to read a full Sanderson book (I’m planning on it!) but from how beloved I’ve seen his work is, how great bits are that I’ve read, and every thing I’ve seen of Brandon, he seems like he truly does LOVE his work, not finds it *work*, if you get my emphasis on the difference.
I love how much he loves his work and loves sharing it. And I respect his always answering questions with honesty and excitement.
This journalist it seems took some admirable qualities (imo) and absolutely topsy-turvy’ed them. Baffling. But great response, Merphy!
As for starting reading Sanderson, I run the opposite of "the common opinion" on the internet. Start with the highs, it'll build some good will for the lows. That's his latest (for another week) Tress of the Emerald Sea, which is a fantastic little book that reminds me of Adam Sandler's acting career, dude likes his silly comedies that employ his friends but when he wants to act he'll do something like Uncut Gems or Reign On Me that proves he can hang with the best of them. Sanderson usually doesn't bother with turning a phrase, but Tress has prose that hangs with the average Pratchett or Gaiman book. It has a number of references to outside works, but there is so much fairytale weirdness to the book you won't feel out of place. Second read "The Emperor's Soul" the Hugo Award winning short story that stands entirely on it's own and is probably still my favourite work by Sanderson. I'd recommend picking it up in "Arcanum Unbounded" as you get a number of other short stories and novellas that you may not read right away (heavy spoilers in them) but you'll own them for when the time comes, saves you some $. Then jump straight to "Way of Kings" because it's time to hit the deep water and Stormlight Archives is just leaps and bounds better than the Mistborn series. After that, you've got the legs to stand on your own and go from there.
I'm not surprised that was written and not surprised at the reaction. I watched Sanderson's lectures as an aspiring writer and started looking into his style more. He does do some things that might seem odd to the default american cultural style. His army of people he has help him sign books, for example.
But what I really think happens there is that many people truly don't understand how people want to help each other. Mormonism is key here because it's what all tight knit communities are like. People are proud of their guy and think he's great as a human so they want to help and be a part of a large effort to accomplish a bigger goal. Simple as that.
With the stories of cults, religious abuse and corporate America tarnishing the idea of cooperation, the avg American can't help but look at a church and assume abuse. Mormonism itself was founded by a grifter and handed over to a... A guy that UA-cam's filters won't let me accurately describe. (Brigham young)
But modern Mormons are largely removed from that and have the "just want to help" spirit. But the nice thing about freedom is that you don't have to go join them.
Additionally, if you read Brandon's work, it's clear he is demonstrating a very non-mormon-crntric worldview. He's basically about at grounded as a human raised in that environment can get. He uses occult themes stemming from ancient Egypt and Rome for farks sake.
Anyway, no one is perfectly perfect but everyone is human and this guy was trying to find a demon so bad.
Sanderson could be a recluse, but that's not who he is. He enjoys interacting with fans and discussing his and others stories. You can not like the guy, but it is completely unfair to say these things about him. This was essentially a hit piece on a very wholesome and great writer. I hope he stays open like he has been prior to this article.
Man has the chance to interview one of the top fantasy writers of our time. Complains about driving and eating dinner with the man.
Nailed it.
I am right now reading through the article and I am having a really hard time reading it actually it just feels... so mean spirited like its being used to rile people up. I never heard of Sanderson before until a person I knew recommend Mistborn to me and I tried to read it but just could not get into it so I put the book down and didn't pick it back up again but then Sanderson wrote Tress and I feel in love with his book and the fun it had in it! This then made me want to read more and more and find out all his writing quirks and writing classes he so awesomely posted online! I just felt so sad seeing that someone would write something like this about Sanderson when he is himself talks to his fans with much joy.
The thing to keep in mind: journalists spend to much time on twitter these days. If you look for the criticisms from twitter users (not readers) they are all about his faith and his personal life. THATs why this is the focus of the criticism - its a twitter user hit piecce.
I am trying to suppress the part of me that thinks the article was a hit-piece backed up by Amazon (the parent company of Audible because Sanderson's actions might hurt them) but I am not able to do it. That feels a more justifiable explanation than this unwarranted hatred and dodged determination to paint a particular picture.
Now THIS is the kind of conspiracy theory I can get behind haha
It probably was. Most articles about individuals are either hit pieces or puff pieces.
As a gay person, I felt the article was mean, but it didn't bother me. This man is universally loved, yet no mention of his his ant-LGBT views... you want to talk about being "mean-spirited", why don't you bring that up? He is given such a pass for his anti-LGBT stance. We are constantly told what a great guy he is, yet he advocates against the interests of LGBT people. It just makes me feel so bitter about the general reading community that people generally only talk about him in glowing terms and just ignore this side to him. I've been such a long term subscriber to your channel, but it is disappointing that you could not even mention this in passing as to why some might be weary of Sanderson for his religious views. So even though I don't love the article, I'm glad it exists.
Daniel Green, another youtuber, briefly covered this in his video/livestream about the article, and mentioned Sanderson has tracked back, apologized and has actually put effort into changing his views. Unless there has been something that happened more recently that changes this? Though I feel like he would be under so much fire if he did make no effort to change and continued spewing garbage.
Sanderson letting his actions speak louder than his words, with his response. Feel like we all can learn from that 😊
Sanderson seems like a wonderful person! I wish I had the privilege of meeting him!
I thought it was hilarious that the author was upset about a Mormon writer’s group being PG. “there were chips and soda. Someone baked an apple crisp.” The ‘journalist’ was just mad no one offered them cocaine.
I mean, you never offer blow to the new guy until he proves himself cool. He just might notice a lot of people stepping out of the room for a minute. Though there was probably caffeine in that soda, this LDS crowd was off the chain!
@@Baldur825 would love to sit in on a session there. Sounds like a pretty wild nerdy time
The whole thing reads like Homer Simpson writing an article about Ned Flanders
I shared the WIRED article on my social media accounts, and even my friends who are very anti-Theist found the article to be incredibly mean-spirited. Brandon Sanderson's response to me, only shows how much of a mensch he really is. I would be *furious* if someone wrote an article like that about me, and he seems to have already forgiven the man. Good guy Brandon Sanderson
Yup. I'm anti theist person myself but I take issue of the religions themselves or how ppl use their religion to hurt others. In fact I have alot against Mormonism HOWEVER that being said, I would never attack a person for their belief and I don't think called Brandon a "weirdo mormon" is a very nice thing at all.
Many, if not all of Brandon's books can actually be life-changing... He's my absolute favorite.
I'm so glad to see this response to the article. I enjoy Sanderson's work enough that I can ignore any of its flaws, but I don't normally mind when people point them out. So I was surprised at how upset this article made me feel when I read it last night. I couldn't stop dwelling on it, but I was worried I was just being sensitive because of bias. I'm happy to see that other people agree it was mean-spirited.
Thanks for speaking out on this. Even his non-fans (like me) know him as a generous person who seems genuinely grateful for his good fortune and someone who passes this along to others when he can. I like his lectures, podcast, and interviews more than his writing. Sounds like this "journalist" had some sour grapes. Not sure why, but I'm not interested in this type of journalism.
My problem with this whole situation is with the editors of Wired. Someone received this article and decided to publish it, right? How is that okay?
It was written by one of the editors. Not saying that's the full story, because it probably isn't, but also remember he had five months to write 4000 words and this was the best he could do.
Amazes me this article passed the editor's desk.
Thank you for commenting Merphy, this whole thing has been such a travesty. That the hit piece went after Sanderson AND fans alike was just so despicable.
I'm surprised the reception is shocked. This is the state of journalism.
Sanderson seems like an absolute legend, I don't even need to meet him to know that.
That's really great that you shared this. I think we should all do better and do more about standing up against people who are cruel for the sake of being cruel.
Well done.
Like the Mormon church?
@@Aster_Risk Sure. If it's shit. Anyone and everyone is open to criticism...especially religion.
(I'm a non-believer in all religions...except Asatro, that one I love cause it's so wild, and I'm not talking about the Marvel version)
This kind of article is one of the thousand cuts by which trust in journalists dies.
I did not have an amazing opinion of wired before this, but it's officially blacklisted for me now. This shows that they have no standards/review process for what goes on their site.